With a Hopeful Heart
by loveRHINO
Summary: [COMPLETE] After four years, Gabriella and Troy meet at a college basketball game. But what if Gabriella starts getting friendly with another guy from her school's basketball team? Will things heat up or crash and burn?
1. The Letter

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

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It's been four years since I last saw the infamous Troy Bolton. It was only last night when I last dreamt about him.

"Gabriella. Gabi. Gabi, get up! It's almost nine-thirty," I opened my eyes to see Taylor vigorously shaking me awake. I nodded my head to show that I was getting up. Then as she exited to go to the bathroom, I pulled my covers over my head. Another day to goI finally got out of bed and stretched. I looked around our messy bedroom. Pizza boxes, empty cans of soda, dirt laundry, papers, anything you can imagine cluttered our bedroom. I kicked a few magazines to the side revealing some more dirty laundry. Ever since Taylor and I became cheerleaders at UCLA, it was hard to keep things neat in between practices and homework. I guess it wasn't so bad considering the rest of the apartment that we shared with four other girls looks more intense than our room. Taylor came back in a towel.

"Today's the big basketball game against Berkeley. It's semi-finals. Excited?" she said as she sat down and started brushing her hair. I would have never expected Taylor to turn into a cheerleader, nonetheless me. It's the complete opposite from what we were way back in high school.

"Yeah, I guess," I said groggily. I went over to the window and opened it. The sun was shining brightly. Suddenly I remembered something. "Hey, did you happen to get the mail yesterday? I'm kind of expecting an important letter from Ms. Brenzington. She has an opening for me at Teen People magazine!" Don't get me wrong. I mean, I was still studying to be a neurologist, but the six month job at Teen People would really be something.

"Oh, no. I forgot. Sorry. I'll ask Kelsi if she could bring it up for us," she said as she took out her cell phone. "But girl, you should be on the cover instead of behind the scenes. Oh hey, Kelsi…" I smiled at the comment. I looked at myself in the mirror. I guess I could see why Taylor said that. I grabbed a picture of myself from a few years back. I did change, for the better.

Taylor hung up the phone. "Kelsi's coming up with our mail. That girl's so sweet. It's great how we're all still friends." I nodded.

Kelsi came into our room with our mail. "Big game today!" she said as she handed Taylor the mail. "Good luck with your stunts and stuff." Kelsi looked the same as she did in high school. Short, dainty, silky brown hair.

"You're not coming to the game?" I asked. "What are you going to do with your Saturday afternoon?"

"Oh, I made other plans," she replied as she looked away.

"But isn't Jason on the UCLA basketball team?" I asked. Taylor shot her a look. Kelsi and Jason ended up going steady and strong after the championships our junior year. He even transferred colleges to be with Kelsi on campus. Talk about sweet.

"Yeah…I know…but…I told him that…I'd meet him…later…he understood," she added. With that, she left the room.

"Shoot, she and Jason are lasting like crazy. If anyone would have stayed together since EHS, I would have expected you and---" she cut herself off as she flipped through the mail. She held out a letter in my direction. "Troy. It's a letter from Troy! Oh my god, Gabriella."

I stood there in disbelief. I slowly walked over and took the letter from her. In that same slanted handwriting I remembered wrote:

_Ms. Gabriella Montez_

_312 Bruins Way_

_Los Angeles, CA 90092_

**A/N: I made up that address, so I don't know if it really exists or not**

The return address was blank except for 'Troy Bolton'. No address or anything. I showed that to Tay. She shook her head. "Now why would he not put a return address? What if he sent the letter to the wrong address? Boys…anyways. Open it!" she said excitedly as I turned it over and fumbled to rip it open.

I stopped in the middle. "Wait."

"What?"

"I haven't seen or heard from Troy in four years. Why on earth would he be sending me a letter now?" I questioned.

"Gabriella, your question is going to be unanswered unless you open that letter! Do you honestly think I know why Troy sent you this? Now come on girl. Let's see what you got!" Taylor started opening the letter for me. I quickly snatched it from her.

"Ok. But let me do the honors. KELSI!" I called, remembering Kelsi.

She ran in with a bowl of cereal. "Yeah?"

"I--I got a letter from T—Tr--Troy!" Her jaw dropped. She rushed by my side and took my hand, leading me into the living room. All of us sat down on the couch. Taylor had finished opening it, so I began to take the letter out. I looked over and both of them were holding each other eagerly. I giggled at the sight of them, especially Taylor, who was still in her towel.

I quickly glanced over at the clock. It read 10:15. "OH MY GOD! TAYLOR!" I screamed.

"What? You haven't looked at it yet…?" she said irritably.

"Taylor! We're going to be late! We're supposed to meet the rest of the squad outside the gym in thirty minutes! This letter will have to wait until later 'cause we have to go! I haven't even started getting ready!" I ran back inside the bedroom and threw the letter on my bed. I dug anxiously around for my cheer uniform, leaving a pile of clothes on my bed. Taylor followed and got ready. I took a quick shower, put on my make-up and uniform, and did my hair. I scrambled for my shoes, poms, and gym bag, and by 10:37 we were out the door.

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**A/N: ok so...this is my first fanfic. please R&R!**


	2. I'm singing WHAT?

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

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We ran as fast as could. Even though the court wasn't too far from the apartment, it felt like forever to get there. Luckily, we arrived just on time to meet up with the rest of the squad. We stretched and got ready for the game.

As we were about to go in, Coach Emily pulled me aside. "Gabriella. A little birdie tells me that you have quite the voice. Not just the strong, powerful cheer voice. But the sweet angelic singing voice of a goddess." She smiled at me as I stood there blushing.

"That was a long time ago, really." I didn't know what she was getting at. And how did she find out?

"Well, I received a special request earlier this morning for you to sing the national anthem today." She unleashed a huge grin. "You can even sing in your uniform! That would be perfect wouldn't it!"

"I…but…now?" I was still in shock. I haven't sung in a long time. Was my voice still ok? Why did I have to sing at this particular game? Did I even remember the lyrics to the anthem? I started to panic. And who told her?

"You go on in about fifteen minutes! Good luck! I'm sure you'll do great!" She gave me a pat on the back and went inside to join the rest of the squad. I followed shortly and found Taylor.

"Oh my god, Taylor. I'm going to sing the national anthem. In fifteen minutes!" I screamed over the crowd of screaming people in the bleachers.

She tried to look surprised, but she ended up bursting out laughing.

My jaw dropped. "You did this to me!" I said as heard the names of the Bruin players being called out for presentation. "I can't believe you! You know I haven't sung in ages!"

"Well, I think now would be the perfect time to practice in the bathroom," replied Taylor. She was getting really giddy. I didn't know what to do. I felt like I was going to pass out. Maybe I should practice like Taylor suggested.

As I was going to the bathroom, I heard, "And now, singing the national anthem. Please, give her a round of applause, for UCLA's very own GABRIELLA MONTEZ!"

I couldn't move. I felt Taylor's hands give me a push forward towards the center of the court. I looked back to see her, the squad, as well as everyone on the stands cheering for me. I was blinded by the spotlight and nearly tripped over my pom-poms as I dragged them by my sides. As I neared the center of the court, I laid them down beside me and was handed the mic. I stared out into the audience that quickly calmed down to a dead silence.

My heart was speeding like a race horse. A thick, dry lump in my throat formed, and my knees started to tremble. I quickly made eye contact with Taylor, who gestured me to breathe. I closed my eyes, slowly took in air, and began.

_Ooh say can you see_

_By the dawn's early light_

_What's so proudly--_

It was terrified. I could tell my voice started to shake as I started. I tried to look for Taylor again, but I couldn't find her. I panned about everywhere for her. No luck, but I kept singing. Then I saw a familiar face. Kelsi. She smiled at me as I continued. She was also pointing for me to look at something, rather someone. I followed her finger to the Berkeley players. And then, as I sang '_were so gallantly streaming_', I spotted yet another familiar face.

Soft, strong blue eyes, brown shaggy hair, and a smile that made me melt every time I saw it. It was Troy. He was smiling at me. Suddenly, I became more at ease and let my heart spill out on the song. I delivered a powerful '_And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air. Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there._" I paused to catch my breath, and the entire gym was filled with cheers. I looked at Troy the rest of the time I sang. All he did was smile at me, and I smiled back. When I was done, I took a bow and returned to the cheerleaders.

Taylor ran up to me and gave me an enormous hug. We resided to the side and started cheering for our team. I felt really awkward now that I saw Troy step out onto the court for the opposing team. I totally forgot that he went to Berkeley. As I watched the game and cheered for the Bruins, I couldn't stop watching Troy. Taylor nudged me every time she caught me staring at him. I couldn't help it. He was amazing. He never missed a basket, and when he got fouled and had to make free throws, he sent me a beaming smile every time the ball made a swish. I felt like I was 17 again, cheering Troy on at a basketball game.

Half time. Music blasted from the speakers in every direction, and the cheerleaders dominated the court. I was so excited to see Troy, but I didn't know how he felt. Did he still like me? Did I still like him? Thoughts, flashbacks, and questions flooded my mind. Nevertheless, I smiled and performed the routine without any flaw. The whole time I was looking at Troy, again. We always had eye contact. But the thought that he might have moved on kept creeping into my mind. As I went up to do my liberty A/N: a liberty is a cheer stunt, I couldn't concentrate and lost my balance. The next thing I knew, I was making contact with the brown, glossy gym floor.

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**A/N: Please R&R. I'd like to get as many reviews as I can. Thanks!**


	3. Dizzy Ditz

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL**

**A/N: also, in the middle of the story, the font might change. i dont know what happened to it. it must have been during the uploading process. so sorry for that. :D**

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Bright lights. Pom-poms. So many faces.

I opened my eyes to see these things. I couldn't hear the music anymore. I felt someone lifting me up. Troy ? No, a paramedic. Two of them. I looked around me. Everybody in the stands was looking straight at me. Some were facing each other, talking, and pointing at me. Some had their jaws dropped while others were covering their mouths. Kelsi had her hands on top of her head. If I wasn't the one being put on display, I would have giggled at her. I saw Taylor rush by my side. She said something inaudible. I searched for Troy . Jason stood beside him, holding his shoulder while he bit his index finger's knuckle. His eyes were sympathetic. _I hope he doesn't think I'm a ditz_. The speakers boomed, 'She's ok, everyone.' I felt my cheeks turn a bright red. This was worse than actually falling. The paramedics came by my sides. They grabbed my arms and legs and carried me to the locker room. Everything was quiet except for their foot steps. They placed me upon a table and examined me from head to toe._ Thank God. Anything to get away from there._

"You hit the ground pretty hard there, missy," said the woman paramedic as she lifted my arms to see if they were broken. "I'm surprised you only managed two bruises on your knee. You're a very lucky girl that nothing else happened to you." She continued to lift my limbs. I sat there in silence and nodded. 

"Are you feeling a little dizzy? Or lightheaded?" the other paramedic asked. I shook my head. Tears started to form at I thought of how I embarrassed myself in front of hundreds of people. "Oh, come now. You're going to be just fine. But I advise you to sit out the rest of the time, just to be safe. You can go out whenever you're ready." She gave me a reassuring wink as she pointing towards the door. I nodded.

They left me alone in the locker room. I felt like screaming because of embarrassment and laughing at the same time because of it. I slowly got up to walk toward the sinks and looked in the mirror. I forced a smile at myself. I quickly retied my ponytail and redid the blue, white, and yellow ribbons to their previous state. I heard the door open and turned around. It was one of the paramedics. She smiled, left an ice pack for me on the table, and left.

I came out of the locker room with the ice pack for my bruises to find that the game had continued and neared the end of the fourth quarter. Wow, I missed almost the entire second half. Berkeley was winning by three. That means Troy was winning. I smiled as I walked back to the sidelines. Coach Emily let me sit in a chair. Taylor came by my side with a sympathetic smile.

"How are you doing?" Taylor rubbed my back. I smiled and nodded. "You know, Gabi. You're one tough cookie. You fall on your face, and you still manage a smile." I blushed. She gave me a hug. We resumed to watching the rest of the game. 

Troy got fouled for the sixteenth time. As we stepped up to the free throw line, he looked over at me, nodded, and sent me the warmest smile ever. I returned the smile and watched him successfully make his shots. That gave Berkeley a seven point lead with only eight seconds to go. Eight seconds went, and the final buzzer went off. Berkeley won, knocking UCLA out of the running for the UC Basketball Championships. Even though I was sad that we didn't win, I was very happy for Troy . He deserved to win.

I followed the rest of the cheerleaders into the locker room. I heard "Gabriella! Gabriella!" calling from that familiar voice I missed hearing. Troy . He tried to escape the people bombarding him to congratulate him. He couldn't reach me so he yelled, "Meet me outside at 4:00 by the front entrance!" I nodded in reply and smiled. He returned the smile and went back to his team.

I scurried to the locker room and found out Taylor waiting for me by the door. "Gabriella! Was that…"

"Yes! It was!" I squealed. We quietly screamed and jumped up and down as we entered the locker room. Everybody swarmed around me, asking me if I was all right, if I needed anything. _Honestly, people. I'm fine_. The girls all gave me hugs. I felt a lot better. Even the guys stopped by after they changed in their locker rooms to see how I was doing.

One guy in particular stayed behind to talk. He told me his name was Geo. What a hot name. It suited him perfectly. He was 6'3'', had dark brown hair, brown eyes, and the most amazing abs. He reminded me of an Abercrombie model. Channing Tatum? Yeah, Channing Tatum. A/N: if you don't know who Channing Tatum is, he's super hot. Anyone seen She's The Man? He's Duke. OMG HOTTT. Look him up :D. He even had on Abercrombie clothes: a hot-pink popped-collar polo with the signature moose on the front and nice faded blue Abercrombie jeans. He looked very clean cut. Then he asked me out for a party tonight. I suddenly felt my heart skip a beat.

"Actually," I heard myself say. "I had made other plans for tonight." He frowned in disappointment. "But let me get your number, and I'll call you when I'm free." His face lit up when he handed me a piece of paper with his name and number on it. We exchanged hugs, and I returned to the girls locker room.

I ran up to Taylor , purposefully neglecting to tell her about Geo. I mean, it wasn't as if it was a big deal anyways.

"So…you and Troy ," she said. She smiled and raised her eyebrows.

I giggled. "He told me to meet him outside at 4:00 . What time is it now?"

"Uhm…3:45ish. Man, girl. You killed time. The game ended at 3, and you just come back now? What did you do out there after everyone left you, meet another guy?" She laughed as she changed out of her uniform. I stood in silence there leaning against her cubby.

"Gabriella?" Tay was completely changed out of her uniform. She struggled to take out her ribbons. She noticed I wasn't paying attention. She snapped her fingers in my face. "You okay? That fall didn't do anything to you, did it?" Her face suddenly was filled with concern.

"Oh, I promise. I'm fine." Waving my hand in the air to make it seem like it was swatting the subject away.

"I'm so excited that the plan worked out," Taylor blurted out. She realized what she had said and covered her mouth.

"Plan?" I was dumbfounded. And then. It hit me. "You knew Troy was on the Berkeley team! And you didn't tell me!" I was so overwhelmed. "And that's why you told Coach Emily to let me sing today. Kelsi knew, too?" She nodded. "You guys!" I rolled my eyes and laughed. "Oh yeah, Kelsi's here! We should go out and greet her."

We both ran out just in time to find Kelsi being the last one to come down from the stands. I gave her a hug and then lightly smacked her on the arm. "You knew Troy was a Berkeley player! And you didn't tell me!" The gym was cleared from all people. Jason came walking up behind us in regular clothes and carrying his gym bag and stood next to Kelsi. He looked like he just took a shower. His hair was still damp. "Sorry you didn't win, Jason. But…You knew Troy was here, too?" He started scratching his neck. He shrugged and nodded simultaneously. We all laughed.

"Hey, it was nice freaking you out, Gabi," said Jason. He let out a friendly grin. I punched him on the arm. "Ow! Haha. Well, you just about ready to go Kels?"

"Yeah. So guys. I'll see you back home. We're just going to hang out maybe see a movie and then dinner later." She glanced over at Taylor who was smiling.

"See you around, guys! Good luck with Troy , Gabi," said Jason. He swung his arm around Kelsi, and they both left.

"Gabi, it's almost four. You better go," said Taylor . She was pointing to the locker room's exit as we walked back inside the locker room. All the cheerleaders were changed back into their normal clothes and waved at us as they left the locker room. I looked down and saw I was still wearing my uniform.

"Like this?" I raised my eyebrows. "Blue and yellow aren't my best colors. You sure?"

"Yeah. You look hot in this uniform. It'll turn him on." She winked. "Now go." She practically shoved me out the door and threw my bags at me. She smiled and shut the door.

I glanced at my cell. It said 4:05 . _Oh shoot. I'm kind of late. Wait, I should be casually late_. So I waited a couple more minutes before I headed towards the front entrance. My heart was pounding so hard I was sure someone else could hear it. Thankfully, no one was around any more. Everyone cleared out since the end of the game. I reached my destination, but where was he? I was filled with utter disappointment when I didn't see him there. I looked around without success.

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**A/N: ok guys. thanks for the reviews! hope you guys like it so far. uhmm i kinda have an idea in mind for the next couple of chapters. do you think i should continue?**


	4. Darn that Letter!

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

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I dropped my bags and sat on the steps, drooping my head in my hand as I waited. I felt like I wanted to cry until...

"Gabriella."

Ilifted my head up.The sun was in my eyes, but I didn't really care.Myfeet were floating asI stood up.I sawa hot pink polo and realizedit wasn't Troy. It was Geo. He moved around so that his shadow provided me shade. I forced a smile and said, "Hey, Geo." I felt fake.

"Hey, Gabi." _Gabi and Geo. It had a sort of ring to it._ WAIT! What was I thinking! I barely know the guy.

"So...what are you still doing out here? Changed your mind about your plans?" I struggled for words. I didn't know what to say. He was sweet and stunning.

"No. Just running a little behind schedule." _C'mon Troy, where are you?_ We both satback down on the steps. Asudden breeze sent my hair flying everywhere.I was fighting for control,then Geo helped me out. I had afew strands of hairs stuck to my lip gloss. He reached over and eased them out. He leaned in slowly, starring at my lips. Iwas motionless. I didn't want a kiss , but I didn't want to blow him off.I just sat there as he stealthy made his way closer.He was inches away from my face. I felt his light breathing on my tip of my nose. I even smelt his mintyfresh gum he was chewing. He was getting closer...closer...closer...and then...BAM!I smashed right against his nose as I turned away to answer my phone. He was holding his face when I turned back around. He was shrieking with pain._Whoops. My bad._

I apologized half a dozen times. "No, no. It's ok." He shook his head as if to shake the pain away. He smiled and stepped back. And then he went tumbling down the stairs. I was laughing my head off on the inside, but my face showed concern. I was half way down the stairs when he said, "No no no! I'm ok!" He rose to his feet. "Just call me later, ok?" I nodded. He turned bright red then walked away. _How embarrassing._ Once he was out of earshot, I unleashed the bottled up laughter within me. I went back to my stop on the top of the stairs and sat down again.I watched a couple cars drive by andrecognized a black car with a hot pink shirt in the driver's seat. Geo. Itried to make it seem likeIwas text messaging me as he looked myway and waved. He kept driving when I didn't respond. _Phew._ I placed my elbow on my thigh and sank my chin in my palm.A couple more minutes passed._Jeez Troy,you're more than fashionably late.If you're not here within one minute, I'm taking off and ---_.

My thoughts were interrupted with a "Gabriella." I recognized that smooth, mellow, teasing, irresistible voice. I got up and turned around.

Troy was wearing nice faded jeans, a black Lacostepolo, and sharp looking Aasics. His chrome watch shimmered.He looked more handsome than ever before. _Maybe I'll refer him to Teen People ifI get the job._He waswalking towards me, gym bag in his hand and the other in his pocket. As I began to step up from the stairs, my knee had this jolt of pain, and I slipped backwards. Luckily, Troy was there in time to catch my waist and bring me up. I hadn't been this close to him in such a long time. I took in his scent. He just took a shower, too. When I looked up at him, his eyes were warm and welcoming

"You know, Gabi. You've taken a pretty big fall today. Didn't want to see another one too soon." He laughed. He had let go off my waist.

"Well hello to you, too." I giggled. I hoped this wasn't going to be awkward. I could tell he was examining me. I caught him in the act. He turned bright red.

I rolled my eyes at him and slowlystarted spinning around, having him look at me from all around. "Satisfied?" He turned a brighter red.

"So…you're a cheerleader now. That's great…" he picked up his bags that he dropped in order tocatch meand mine, and we started walking towards the parking lot. "You know you look really good in that uniform. I would never have expected Gabriella Montez to become a cheerleader." He laughed. I blushed.

"Well. I guess there's a lot you don't know about me since the last time we saw each other." He stopped smiling. _Oops. Why the heck did I just say that_. I turned to apologize, but he cut me off.

"No, no. It's true. Sorry about that." Awkward silence.

"You know your basketball skills have really got you something. Did I see no missed shot out there, Bolton?"

"Yeah...well. You sang really great. Better than what I remember. A little shaky in the beginning." I punched him on the arm.

"Hey, I haven't sung since..." I trailed off. He understood as he gave me a slight nod. The truth was I sang just this morning in the shower. I didn't let anyone hear me of course, not even Taylor.

He cleared his throat. "So how have you been? You wanted to be a...a.."He quickly turned red again.

"Neurologist," I completed.

"Neurologist, eh? That's the Gabi I know."He smiled that smile. I couldn't take my eyes off of him, but did he really know me? We haven't talked in forever,and yet he was still acting as though he were best friends.

We neared the parking lot entrance. Why was I following him? My car wasn't parked here. I remembered that I ran with Taylor.

"Oh, uhm. Actually, I didn't take my car," I tried to stay cool. He had put on his sunglasses. He looked sly and hot. It made me melt inside.

"Ohwell, thendoyouneedalift? I'vegotplentyoftimeonmyhandsforyou." I could tell he didn't want to sound eager, but the fact that he said that all in one breath made me laugh out loud.I politely accepted his offer. I directed where to go, and he dropped me off outside the apartment. He took my gym bag andgot out to walk me to the door.

"You know, Gabi," he finally broke the ice. "I know we haven't talked in a long time." He started to sweat. _What? Do I make him nervous?_ "But, it'd like it if we got a chance to catch up. You got my letter didn't you?" _Oh shoot. That's right. The letter. I didn't even open it yet._ I nodded in agreement. "Good. Then I'll pick you up later." He handed me my bag. What was I supposed to do? Hug him? Kiss him? Give him a handshake? Oh god, I was freaking out on what to do until he started go back to his car and waved good-bye. I returned the wave and smiled.Then he drove off.

_The letter. I need to read that letter._

Just as he left, I saw Jason and Kelsi pull up the drive way. I didn't mean to stare, but I saw them make out in the car before Kelsi got out. Jason turned and saw me, his face became stunned. He backed out and drove away. Kelsi saw him drive away until he disappeared and turned to see standing outside the door. This time, I turned red.

She folded her arms. "Gabriella Montez. Are you spying on me?"

My eyes bulged. "No, no, no, I..uh...well."

She let out a laugh. "Kidding. Come on, let's goin before the sprinklers turn on."

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**A/N: okee dokes. i tried to make this chapter a little interesting? did it work? i derno. oh btw, thanks for the awesome reviews guys! really means a lot to me:**D 


	5. What happened

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL**

**A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews everyone! Really really appreciate them!

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Oh, boy. What an afternoon I had. Singing the Star-Spangled Banner, falling flat on my face, meeting Geo, and seeing Troy. Singing today reminded me of the old days. At first I was totally petrified. But after I saw Troy, I felt right. Everything came out smoothly and freely, as if it was natural. Man, do I owe Taylor big time, but I'm also going to get her for that. She told me that she deliberately had told Coach Emily to let me sing because Troy was there. She also knew that I couldn't really sing in public without Troy there. That should have been my first hint before I freaked out. I should have known Troy would have been there because Tay wouldn't put me on the spot like that. I felt complete again. But what if he just wants to be friends again? Just catch up for the sake of it because he was here for the game.This was his chance of letting things between us be cool.I mean, we left things off in a terrible manner.

_Flashback._

_It was two days after graduation. Troy called me, saying that he wanted to meet me at the promenade at four. It was one, so I decided that I could take a short nap before getting ready. Before I fell asleep my cell rang. It was Taylor. She was crying._

"_Tay, calm down. Breathe in and out. Ok, what's wrong?" She was sobbing._

"_Chad."_

"_What about Chad?"_

"_He dumped me." She blew her nose._

"_What! Why?"_

"_Because he's a JERK!"_

"_Taylor. Please. Calm down."_

"_He is going away this summer to Maui for a co-ed sports enrichment thing. He said that he didn't want to be attached if he found another girl who would happen to be going to the same college as he. And he acted like it was no big deal!" She sounded more angry than upset._

"_Oh, I'm so sorry Taylor." _

"_You deserve a lot better, Tay."_

_"Thanks, Gabi." She seemed to collect herself from a teary mess. "I'll talk to you later." She hung up._

_OH MY GOD IT'S 3:45! I rushed to get ready. My hair was a mess, for when I was talking to Taylor, I was still lying in bed, rolling around in the covers as I tried to calm her down. I had no time to do anything to it, so I pulled it into a loose ponytail. Oh god, I looked so plain without my make-up. I quickly applied mascara, blush, and lip gloss. I jammed into a shirt and threw on a pair of jeans, slipped into some flip-flops, and ran out the door. Troy was waiting for me outside of Ben & Jerry's. He looked rather nervous._

_"Hey, Gabriella." He gave me a light hug._

_"Don't worry, Bolton. I've had all my shots." He chuckled and squeezed me a little harder. "So what's on your mind?" I stood in line to order an ice cream cone. Talking to Taylor made me a little hungry. He payed for my ice cream and led me outside. We walked down a block of shops, staring at things in the windows, commenting on what we liked and didn't liked. _

_"So what are your plans for the summer?" he asked. He grabbed my hand and led me towards a bench. We sat right in front of a man playing his guitar. I was still munching on the last bits of the cone. I noticed that he kept a space between us and folded his hands in his lap._

_"I don't know. I was hoping to spend them with you as much as we could before school starts? I'm going to miss you when I don't see you around campus anymore. UCLA and Berkeley might as well be a million miles apart."I tried to scoot in closer, but I could tell he wanted some space. I backed off. He seemed to be concentrating on the man playing his guitar. He playing with his thumbs. "We can make our relationship work. We at least have the whole summer to figure things out."_

_"About that. You see," he began. "My dad is really excited about my playing ball in Berkeley. He thinks that I would do really well. Sohesigned me up for this sports camp for incoming college freshmen to keep me in shape. It's a ten-week camp...in Maui." Ten weeks! That's longer than I anticipated. Practically the whole summer! I was shocked. Terribly shocked. Was he talking about the same camp Chad was going to? _

_He practically read my mind, "Chad's going, too. It's a co-ed camp." Oh. No. Did this mean that he was going to break up with me for the same reason Chad broke up with Taylor?_

_"Oh," I said quietly. I lowered my head and tried to keep my tears from falling. This is it. He's going to dump me. Wait. I should do it before he does! My head quickly shot up. "You know what, Troy. You have fun at that sports camp thing. I'm sure you'll meet a lot of girls there, too. And you don't want to be tied down by that just because you have someone waiting for you here in New Mexico." He looked totally surprised. It was as if I slapped him in the face. "Someone who cares about you, worries about you, thinks about you all the time." At this point, I stood up. I tried to keep my voice from shaking."So, don't be tied down by me just because you want to have a great time at that summer camp." I turned and walked away.I bumped into the guitarist without turning toapologize.I could hear him call my name, but he didn't come after me like I thought he would. _

_I didn't stop walking until I was in my room.I sat on my bed staring atthe closed bedroom door still thinking he was going to come in and tell me something else.I was filled with mixed emotions. Did I just break up with Troy Bolton? Did that even count as a break up or were we just taking a break?I didn't know what I just did. I told myself that if he did care then he would call me.I was an idiot to believe this.A week passed. Two weeks passed. Summer passed. I went to Southern California and ended up dorming with Taylor and Kelsi. I kept my cell charged and on at all times just in case that phone call would come. A semester passed. I gave up on that hopeless thought. Troy never tried to communicate with me._

_End of Flashback._

Kelsi and I came in the apartment. I looked over at her, a smile on her face. Wait a sec. Why was she home so early?

"Hey Kels?

"Yeah?"

"I thought you and Jason were going to hang out? Dinner and a movie?" I remembered her saying that before she and Jason walked out of the gym. "It's only 4:45."

"Oh, yeah. Well, we were on our way when Jason got a call. Some guy named on the basketball team named Leo reminded him about a party tonight at someone's mansion in Beverley Hills. Before Jason could turn him down, I quickly told him that we should go. I mean, how often do you get to party in Beverley Hills?" She walked in the living room and plopped on the couch. I followed and sat down on a chair.

"Kels. Did you mean Geo?"

"Oh, yeah. Geo. That's the name. You know him?" Without moving any part of her body, her head turned towards me.

"Uhm..yeah."

"Huh, I think I met him once. Didn't like him at all. He was hitting on me with Jason right beside me." Her face was filled with repugnance.

"Then why did you say you'd go to that party with Jason knowing Geo'd be there?"

"Hey, like I said. How often do you get to party in Beverley Hills? I'll just be partying it up with Jason anyways. I won't leave his side for a minute...even if he has to use the bathroom." She winked. We both laughed. Even though Kelsi looked the same on the outside, she recently loosened up when she turned 21.

"Hey. What's going on?" Taylor emerged from the bedroom. "Why are the both of you back so early?"

Before I could say anything, Kels chimed in. "Change of plans.I'm going to a party with Jason later, but Gabriella has yet to tell us why she left Troy so early." They both smiled and I blushed.

"Oh my god, how did it go?" Taylor asked. Kelsi quickly sat up and made room for Taylor to join us. "Tell us everything!"

"Does everything have to include Geo?"

"OH MY GOD! GEO? BASKETBALL GEO? UCLA BASKETBALL GEO?" Taylor's eyes bulged.

"That's the Geo."

"How do you know Geo?"

"I forgot to mention earlier that he stopped by the locker room to see how I was doing." I pointed to my bruises. "Then he asked me out to that party Kelsi and Jason are going to."

They both screamed.

"But I said 'no', so he gave me his number in case I changed my mind." I rummaged through my bag and found the slip of paper he handed to me earlier:

_Geo (310) 555-3425_

I waited until they finished screaming. Then told them exactly what happened after Tay threw my bags at me and locked me out of the locker room. I happily retold Kelsi's make out session with Jason. She turned the color of a tomato.

"DAYUUM Gabriella! Geo and Troy? Two of the hottest guys I've ever seen.How do you do it? I can't even get a guy anymore. Now you have two!" Taylor was getting giddy again. Kelsi on the other hand wasn't as thrilled.

"Gabs, you should really be careful around Geo."

"It's ok Kels. I don't really like him."

"OH!" Taylor's face lit up. "GABRIELLA! THE LETTER! DID YOU READ THE LETTER YET!"

"Oh, no."

"Go get it!" They yelled in unison.

I ran in my room, and started searching under the pile of clothes that were heaped on my bed. "Where the heck is it? I thought I put it on my bed...AH! Got it." I retrieved the letter and returned to the living room. Kelsi had a tub of popcorn on her lap. Taylor was taking handfuls out of the tub. "What are you guys doing?"

"This letter seems like it's worth a tub of popcorn. You want some?" Kelsi held out the bowl of popcorn in my face. I shook my head.

"Read it already!" They said in unison. They were getting really good at that unison stuff.

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**A/N: fluff fluff. please R&R! the next couple of chapters are going to be soo good, that is if enough people R&R.**

**i've decided that if i get at least 10 reviews, then i'll start another chapter. until then... :**


	6. About Time You Opened That Letter

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL**

**A/N: thanks so much you guys for the awesome reviews! it really helps me write more!**

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I took the letter out of the envelope. I stared at it, still closed and folded into thirds. _The moment I open this letter, I might fall for him again or end up hurt._ I felt the crease marks made by the folds. I could tell that Troy folded it over and over again because they were worn out. I was still debating whether I could open it or not.

"Gabriella?" Taylor narrowed her eyebrows.

"Oh, sorry." I started to unfold it when Brylee, Gena, and Sydney walked through the front door. (A/N: the three other roommates.) They were all carrying shopping bags.

"Hey, guys," called Gena as she walked towards us. Her blonde hair was pulled into a messy side ponytail. Her blue eyes were filled with that I-just-bought-a-gazillion-clothes-today gleam. "How was the basketball game?"

"Oh, we lost," I answered. I sat down on the chair with the unopened letter still in my hands.

"Bummer," said Sydney as she stood beside Gena. She placed her arm upon Gena's shoulder. "I am so tired." She held up seven bags in her other hand. "Gabriella, I saw this amazing top that I thought would suit you best." She put down all of her bags and began searching through them. She pulled out a long brown shirt with mint green and baby blue hearts everywhere. "Thought you could wear it with some jeans and a belt over it for one of those casual days." She handed the shirt to me, snatched it back, pulled out the tag, and rehanded it to me.

"Oh, thanks Syd."

"No prob." Sydney and Gena both smiled and turned to go to their rooms. I let out a deep sigh and continued to stare at the letter. I could hear Sydney and Gena in their rooms trying on their new clothes. I sank back into my chair.

"Gabi?" Kelsi hadn't said anything up until now. She looked at me, then the letter, then back at me. I raised my eyebrows and looked in the direction of the kitchen to indicate Brylee. We heard the opening and closing of cabinets, which meant that Brylee was going to cook dinner. In that case, she would be too busy to eavesdrop. _It's not that I don't want to tell Syd, Bry, and Gena about the letter. It's just that I haven't even told them about Troy Bolton, and I didn't want to start now and have to explain my whole situation all over. It was tiring to even think about it._ We heard the blast from the stereo in Gena's and Syd's room and figured that it was safe to talk aloud about the letter.

I turned back to face Taylor and Kelsi. I couldn't help but laugh. They were holding each other again.

I opened each fold slowly, revealing that slanted handwriting I recognized. I closed my eyes, took in a deep breathe, and began to read the letter out loud.

"Dear Gabriella. You would never believe how many times I started this letter and ended up ripping it to shreds." I smiled. "I don't really know where to begin. Actually, I do." I shifted in my seat. I wet my lips and continued. "I'm sorry. For everything. For not trying to call you these past few years, for not writing you, for not letting me explain everything. For waiting this long to get the nerve to write this. I just couldn't bring myself to do it after we broke up. I didn't want to end our relationship the way it did. In fact, I really didn't want to end our relationship at all." My eyes welled up with tears. _He wasn't going to break up with me._

I cleared my throat and continued. "I just thought that you should know the other half of what I was going to say when we were at the promenade, but then I thought if you could just meet me again, I'd explain that in person. I don't want you to feel obligated to see me because of this, Gabi. I just really want to clear that air. Give me a chance to redeem myself. Become friends again." At this point I felt warm tears roll down my eyes. _Friends? I guess that's where he wants to go. _I smelled fried chicken and heard Kelly Clarkson in the other room. It was still safe to go on.

"I'll be in town for the UCLA vs. UC Berkeley basketball game on Saturday. (Today). I've got the rest of the weekend to catch up with you, if you'll let me. If you do decide to see me, ask Taylor for the next letter labeled 'ONE'." I looked over at Tay. She had a beaming smile on her face. "I'll see you later, I hope. Troy."

When I was finished, I felt exhausted. I was filled with so many emotions. I laughed as I realized that more tears were emerging from my puffy eyes. I quickly wiped them away. I looked over at the two. Kelsi was wiping away her tears while Taylor still had that smile on her face. Then I realized something.

"You've been in contact with Troy this whole time!" I threw a throw pillow at her. _'Throw' pillows is a good name for it._ She chuckled and ran to our room. I grabbed Kelsi and followed. We shut the door. Taylor was rummaging through her desk drawers, 'grr'ing in frustration. I knew what she was looking for. The next letter. She handed me a big white envelope with 'ONE' in big letters.

"Hey, Tay. How did Troy give these to you?"

"Well, before I came yesterday, I got a call from him. I wasn't going to answer it, but he calling and left me SEVERAL voicemails telling me to call him back. He told me what he was going to do, and I automatically caved. He sounded really sincere. So I met him up before I went home. He's staying in the Pearson Apartments with the rest of his team. I knew he mailed that letter, and I was expecting you to have read it yesterday, but we didn't get our mail until this morning."

"That's why you rushed me to read it?" She nodded. "Did you know what it was going to say?"

"Nope. Troy didn't tell me the details. He just told me that he wanted to make things ok between you two. Then he handed me the envelopes—"

"Envelopes. That must mean there's more," said Kelsi.

"Yep, but we'll handle with this one for now. Open it, Gabriella!"

I ripped it open to find a 5 x 7 photograph. It was a picture of Crustaceans, a seafood restaurant by Marina del Rey. (A/N: There is actually a restaurant called Crustaceans, but I'm not sure if it's in Marina del Rey.) On the back was a small note:

Thanks for meeting me later.

This is where we're going.

I'll come by around 7.

Troy

I handed the photo to Taylor and Kelsi. They let out a long "AWWW!"

"That is so sweet. And hey, Crustaceans is sooo good! Jason took me there for our anniversary. There was an oyster bar and a shrimp buffet! (A/N: again, I don't know if there is, I just made it up.) You'll love it there. It's right by the beach, too! When the sun goes down, there is this amazing…well, you'll see!" exclaimed Kelsi.

I glanced over at the clock. I was 5:30 exactly. _It gives me enough time to get ready._ But what was I going to wear? As I ran to my closet, I yelled in Kelsi's direction, "Kels. Is it a really fancy restaurant? How should I dress?" I was panicking. Clothes were everywhere. I heard her yell back, "Semi-formal, kinda casual." That's all I needed to know. I pulled out my best jeans and a low-cut satin halter top. I threw them at Taylor as I ran in the bathroom. She nodded and walked out the room to iron them. "Thanks so much Tay!" I yelled behind the closed door.

"No problem!" I heard her yell back.

_Tonight, I'm meeting up with Troy Bolton._

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**A/N: soo what do you guys think? do you think that troy just wants to be friends or will he try to rekindle things with gabi:D**

**please review! remember, at least 10 reviews earns you another chapter!**


	7. Where's My Bronzer!

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL**

**A/N: just the transition into Troy and Gabi's 'date'**

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_Why am I so nervous? It's just Troy Bolton. Just Troy Bolton? Who was I kidding? Troy Bolton is not just Troy Bolton. He's a mix of everything perfect. My other half. The blood that runs within my veins. The air that my lungs take in. The water I drink. The food that I eat. He was my everything. Was being the key word. But I know in my heart that he was truly my other half. How I managed my college career without him was amazing. Hmmm…I wonder what's he's doing right now._ All of these thoughts flooded my head as I tried my best to towel off without toppling over with excitement._ I'm an idiot for breaking up with him. I sighed._

I stodd in front of the bathroom mirror when I realized that most of my make-up was gone from its usual location! I stuck my head out the door. "Anyone seen my bronzer?" No response. _Great! Just what I need! I'm not going to be ready on time!_ I ran all around the apartment looking in places where someone would normally put on her make-up. I finally found it, along with my eye shadow, blush, lip gloss, and eyeliner, on top of Brylee's dresser. _That girl is always taking my make-up without telling me_ I thought as I collected my belongings. No one was in their rooms. _Where is everyone?_ I ran into my room and found that Taylor hung my freshly ironed clothes in my closet. I heard the sound of plates, chit-chat, and laughter. _Oh, they're eating._

Still in my towel, I quickly walked into the kitchen. They were gathered around the long wooden table, passing ketchup and such while munching on some chicken tenders that Brylee made. Everyone stopped talking when I entered the room. _C'mon on people. That just means that you're obviously talking about me._

"Hey, Bry." Brylee turned around. "I don't really mind you using my make-up sometimes, but could you at least tell me before I freak out like I did just now."

Her face was filled with guilt, and she had a smudge of ketchup of her chin. "Oops, sorry Gabz. My bad. I promise, it won't happen again." I nodded as they wiped away the tomato condiment from her face.

"Oh, thanks Taylor for ironing my clothes."

"No prob."

Everyone was staring at me.

"So, Gabz. Where exactly are you going tonight?" asked Sydney. She placed a piece of chicken in her mouth and chewed it. "And how come we aren't invited?" I loved Sydney's sarcasm, but right now I didn't have the patience.

"Oh, just gonna catch up with my old friend from high school, that's all."

"Uh huh, old friend." She was smiling, revealing a huge blob of ketchup on her two front teeth. "So if it's a high school friend, then why aren't Kels and Tay going?" _Grrr._

"Oh, I'm going out with Jason later," Kelsi quickly said.

"Yeah, and I never really like the guy," said Taylor. "I mean, we never really…uhm…he just…I just…I never got to know him…" Taylor was fighting for words as everyone stared at her, wanting to laugh.

I gave both of them a 'thank-you' look.

"Hey, Gena. Do you think that you could help me with my make-up? I'm getting kind of nervous, and my hand won't stop shaking." Gena was amazing with make-up. Gena was amazing with hair. Gena was amazing with clothes, and nails, and accessories. Hell, she was a fashion guru. If anyone had trouble, then they'd just call Gena, and she'd be willing to help.

"Sure." She got up from the table and followed me to the bathroom. As we walked away, I heard Sydney say, "Old friend, my ass. More like old boyfriend." All of them started laughing but quickly hushed down. I smiled and kept walking.

"Maybe you should blow dry your hair first," Gena suggested. "You might melt your make-up if you dry it after." I nodded. She helped me blow dry my hair, too.

"Oh my god, Gena." I said in the middle of the blow drying process. "You are my life saver!" She let out a small laugh and continued. She finished. I took the center front part of my hair and slightly brushed it back, pushed it forward, created a small 'foof', and secured it with two bobby pins. I ran to my room and carefully put on my clothes. _Don't want to get them wrinkled again._ I slipped on some flip-flops and ran back into the bathroom. Gena was waiting for me with make-up in her hands. I quickly sat down on the closed toilet seat, and she began her magic.

"Close your eyes," she said as she brushed on some eye-shadow. "So, tell me. This old high school friend. Is it a he or a she?" She blew into the brush and dabbed it into the palate.

"Uhm, a he."

"So, is he just a friend or…you know, a special high school friend?" I opened my eyes and raised my eyebrows. "Like a used-to-be best friend. Or an ex. Or…just a friend in town? Close your eyes."

I closed my eyes and answered, "He's all three." That's all I intended to say.

"Oh I see." She left it at that. Gena's genuine, and she wouldn't push my buttons. A while passed before she said, "All right, all finished." I stood up and turned towards the mirror.

"Oh my god, Gena! You're a miracle worker!" I gave her a hug and ran back into my room. _MY SHOES!_ I dug and dug and dug around for my best heels. Thank goodness I found them on time. I strapped them on, grabbed my bag, and walked into the kitchen. They were clearing away their plates. When I walked in, the first person to scream was Sydney.

"AHH! You look perfect!"

I smiled. "Sarcasm?" She shook her head. I looked over at the clock. 6:55. _He should be here any minute now._ Kelsi came up to me and pulled me into a hug. She whispered, "Have a good time tonight."

"Thanks, I'll try," I whispered back. Just as we got out of the hug, the doorbell rang. I think my heart stopped beating for five seconds. I froze. I didn't expect to get this nervous until that bell rang. I couldn't move my feet. Then Gena came out of the bathroom and opened the door.

"Hi. I'm..uhm..looking for Gabriella Montez?" Troy was standing in the doorway. Everybody stopped what they were doing and walked out from the kitchen. They all sat in the living room and looked at him with a smile on their faces. I still couldn't move my feet. Kelsi nudged me on my shoulder and turned me around.

I couldn't help but smile. He turned from Gena to me. "Hi," he said again. We stared at each other for a few seconds. Gena retreated to the living room to join the others.

"Hi," I said softly. Miraculously, my feet started to take me to him. Instinctively, I grabbed his hand. They were warm and soft. I led him in to the living room. I realized what I just did and dropped his hand. I turned pink. "Uhh, Troy. You remember—"

"Kelsi! Taylor! Hey!" Kelsi and Taylor stood up to hug him. "Good to see you guys again."

"You too, Troy," said Kelsi. Taylor just stood there nodding her head and smiling. Then they sat back down.

"Uh, Troy. These are my other roommates. That's Brylee, Sydney, and you met Gena not too long ago."

"Hey," they said in unison and waved. Troy returned it with a nod.

"So, ready to go?" He turned towards me and started walking. When we reached the door, he turned around and said, "Nice meeting you. And seeing you again."

"You, too," they all said in unison. Troy went out the door, but I trailed behind. I looked back at them. All were smiling and raising and dropping their eyebrows. I waved bye and followed him out the door. Taylor came running up behind me and shut the door.

The next thing I heard was a gazillion foot steps. I glanced back and saw all of their faces crammed against the door window. I quickened my pace and caught up with Troy. He led me to his car and opened the door for me. "Thank you," I said and climbed in.

Back at the Apartment

Everyone went back to the living room after seeing Troy and Gabriella drive off.

"He's hot," said Brylee as she turned on the TV.

"They look so cute together," said Gena as she hugged a pillow.

"So, is Troy really just an old friend from high school?" asked Sydney.

Taylor nodded and stared at the TV screen.

"Oh, c'mon there's got to be more to the story than that," said Brylee.

"Troy and Gabi were going out in high school," Kelsi blurted out. Taylor shot her a 'if-Gabi-finds-out-you-told-them-then-we're-dead' look. The three of them gasped.

"What happened to them?" asked Sydney.

"Guys, if Gabi wanted us to know, she would have told us," chimed in Gena.

"Yeah, suuure. Why did they break up?" asked Sydney. She and Brylee got closer to Taylor and Kelsi. Both had eager looks on their faces. Gena, on the other hand, sat where she was and listened.

"Well…." Then Taylor started explaining everything that happened. From the moment Gabriella asked her if she ever got to know Troy up to the time Gabi called Taylor to tell her that she broke up with him. "But she never told me why she did. She just said that she did without giving me any explanation."

"Wow, it's been, what, four years since they talked to each other. Why do you think they waited that long?" asked Brylee.

Kelsi shrugged, and Taylor sighed. "But we're hoping something happens tonight."

Gena cleared her throat. "Hey, Kels. You think that maybe we can go to that party you're going to, too?" She tried to change the subject.

"Oh, yeah, I'm sure it's ok, I guess. You guys can follow me and Jason when he gets here."

Everyone's face lit up as they got excited for the party.

"Awesome, a party with hottie basketball players," squealed Brylee. "What time is he coming?"

"Around nine."

They all left to their rooms to get ready. Kelsi and Taylor stayed in the living room.

"We cannot tell Gabriella that they know," Taylor said softly. Kelsi nodded. "But, PARTAY! Let's get ready girl!" She grabbed Kelsi's hand and ran to their rooms and got ready.

"I hope Troy and Gabi are having a good time," Kelsi said as she pulled clothes from her closet.

"Me, too, Kelsi. Me, too."

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**A/N: alrighty, well i know it wasn't much but the next chapter focuses more on the 'date' and the party. so PLEASE review and hopefully you'll get another chapter soon!**

**:D**


	8. Dinner and More

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! ESPECIALLY HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL**

**A/N: oksorry i havent updated in a while. hey, it's summer vacation, i've been out and about, buti finally found the time to keep writing. so hope you like it . oh and...****ok, well I haven't actually been to Crustaceans before, so I'm going to make up the whole setting of it.

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"Oh! My! God! Troy!" I exclaimed as we got out of the car for valet. We were walking towards the entrance of Crustaceans when the sun was descending on the horizon. As they entered the foyer, the sunset illuminated the all glass aquarium. We walked a little farther and as the sun inched down, the last of its rays created a magnificent rainbow against the waterfall beside the beach. The rainbow disintegrated as the sky darkened. We stood there, smiling and looking at the waterfall just as the light in the water lit up. It was breath-taking. _So this must be what Kelsi was talking about._ I felt Troy walk away as he headed toward the receptionist's corner. I followed.

"Welcome to Crustaceans," said the receptionists in a gleeful voice. She had a pen and a clipboard in her hands. Her earpiece attached to a walkie talkie blinked a bright green.

"Reservations for Bolton," said Troy and turned to smile at me.

The receptionist fumbled through some papers and finally came upon Troy's name. "Ah! Right this way." She led us through another aquarium and onto the roof deck. We followed her to a table right in the middle of the deck. We had a perfect view of the shore and the waterfall near the entrance. Troy pulled my seat out for me and scooted me in. He then retreated to his own seat.

"Would you like me to turn on your heat lantern?" She pointed to the heat lantern not too far from our table. It was still pretty warm, so why did she bother asking?

"Maybe later," said Troy.

"Ok. A waiter will be with you in just a moment," the receptionist said as she handed us two menus. She smiled then left, leaving Troy and I to ourselves.

"This is such an amazing restaurant," I said in awe. "It's great how you got us a table. It's so full, even on the roof."

"Oh, did you not want to sit on the roof?" He began to get up from his seat. I quickly put my hand up.

"No, no. It's great out here." He nodded and sat back down again. I sat there looking at him, reminded of the times we used to do this.

"You know, Gabi. I never said how great you look tonight." I smiled and blushed.

"You look pretty good yourself," I said. This time he blushed but quickly turned his head so that he could cover it up. I laughed to myself. _I don't really care what you're wearing. I'm just glad that I'm here with you again._

"What?" he asked as I kept giggling to myself.

I shook my head. "Nothing." I shortly ended my giggle. We opened up our menus and looked it over.

Soon a man in a white apron came up to our table. "Good evening. I'm Chuck, your waiter for this evening. Can I get you anything to drink?"

I flipped to the back of the menu and took a once over the beverages.

"I'll have a Gentle Sea Breeze," said Troy.

"I'll have Coco Colada," I said.

"All right then. Do you need a couple more minutes to order? Or…" said Chuck as he scribbled down our drink orders.

I looked over at Troy.

"Oh, don't worry, Gabi. I've got it covered tonight." _In that case, if he's paying, might as well take advantage of this. I'll look over the lobster section. Hee heee._

"Oh, then I'll take this opportunity to tell you both that tonight our shrimp buffet will be closed due to something called a shrimp recall," explained Chuck. Troy and I looked at him with confused looks. Chuck shrugged. "Hey, I have no idea what that means, but our oyster bar is still open. Just order through me, and I'll get ya what ya need."

I shrugged and returned to the menu.

"Chuck. Tell Danny 897 from Troy. He'll understand what I'm talking about."

"No problem," responded Chuck. He took our menus away from us and walked away. I had a befuddled look on my face.

"Oh, don't worry. I have a surprise for you. Unless there's something on the menu that you really wanted," Troy quickly added. I shook my head. _That is sooo sweet._ Shortly, Chuck came back with our drinks then left again. I sipped mine and looked over at Troy. He took a big gulp from his.

"Gentle sea breeze? That's a clean drink. Troy Bolton doesn't drink alcohol?" I teased.

"Not when I want to be embarrassed in front of complete strangers. There is one thing that I do when I am drunk," he scratched his neck and cleared his throat.

"Oh really, what's that?"

"I'd…sing." He turned bright red. My jaw dropped, but I quickly let out a small giggle. _I need to remember that. _

He cleared his throat again. "So, thanks for coming with me tonight. I wasn't really sure how you would react when you got the letter. And when you saw me at the game. Frankly, I…I thought you wouldn't want to see me ever again," he said. Silence. I didn't know what to say, so I didn't say anything at all. _How am I supposed to respond to something like that?_ We took occasional sips from our glasses until Chuck came back with our food.

"Holy shit!" I said as Chuck distributed small sized plates and platters of seafood. One plate was crab ravioli with this really good cream sauce. Another plate was calamari picatta. Another platter was filled with lobster tails, lemon wedges, and butter sauce. Another platter was crowded with oysters: baked oysters, grilled oysters, fried oysters, all topped with different delicious sauces. I was completely impressed. "Troy!"

He had a bright smile on his face. "I hope you have an appetite. And I really hope you like seafood." He laughed and handed me a plate. We took helpings of everything. _This is going to cost Troy a fortune. Might as well enjoy it before he changes his mind. Hee hee hee._

"Anything for dessert?" Troy asked after we finished off everything. And I mean everything. I was way too full to eat anything else or say anything else for that matter. I gave him a 'are-you-kidding-me' look. He laughed and signaled Chuck for the check. I sat back and tried to look happy. Truth was that I wanted to take a long nap after all that food. _Man, I hope he doesn't think that I'm a big fat fattie pig. I feel like one right now. But he did eat more than I did_. I let out a defeated sigh and looked over at the waterfall. I was entranced by the sound of the water crashing into the pond. The sound of Troy's voice called me back to reality. He had just paid the bill when I turned back. The plates were being cleared. I didn't have the energy to move. Again, I was so full.

"Beautiful," he said. I blushed.

"Thanks."

"Oh, I meant the waterfall."

I turned bright red. "Oh…right." _STUPID!_

"Gabriella," he said as he smiled. "Kidding."

I turned a brighter red. "Oh…right," I repeated. _Idiot, idiot, idiot._ Could I have been more embarrassed? And it's amazing how I managed to say anything. Chuck came back with Troy's credit card.

"You two have a good night," he said with a smile. He nodded at Troy and left. "So, you ready to go?" Troy asked as he began to get out of his seat.

"Uhm, actually. I'll be right back. I've got to stop by the ladies room for a quick sec," I said as I wobbled out of my seat. He sat back down, and I felt him watch me as I left. I headed back toward the lower level and followed the arrows that read "Restrooms". Thankfully, no one was in there, so I had a chance to call Taylor. I pulled out my phone from my bag and started dialing.

"Come on, pick up your phone," I said as I paced up and down the bathroom in front of the mirror.

"Hello?"

"Taylor! Thank God, you picked up!"

"Gabriella, hey! How's it going?"

"It's going pretty ok, I guess. But I feel kind of stupid."

"What? Why?"

"Because I pigged out, and he probably thinks I'm a total fattie. Kelsi was right. This place is amazing, but Troy feed me like a buffet. I totally feasted. I think he thinks that I'm disgusting." I stopped pacing and sat on the couch that was there.

"Gabriella, calm down. If Troy wouldn't have wanted you to eat to your stomach's content, then he wouldn't have ordered that much food. Besides, I don't think he cares what you eat. I think he just wanted your company." I put on a tiny smile. I heard someone say 'Taylor, let's go' in the background.

"Where are you heading to, Tay?"

"All of us are going to that party Jason and Kelsi are going to."

"Oh, well have fun."

"Thanks, you, too. And if you need to talk again, call me. I'll make sure to have my phone on me. But Gabi. Just be yourself. Okay?"

"Thanks, Tay. Bye." And she hung up. I got up and looked at myself in the mirror. "Ok, Gabriella. Just be yourself. Be yourself." I drew in a deep breath and headed back out the door. My heart started racing as I neared our table.

"Hey, are you okay? You were in there quite a while. Got a little worried. I hope the seafood wasn't too much," he said as I sat back down.

"Oh, no. I'm fine." I smiled. _Ok, Gabi. Just be yourself._

"All right, well. You ready to go now? I've got some other place I want to take you."

I raised my eyebrows.

"Haha, no. Not the Pearson Apartments."

"Haha. I wasn't even thinking that, but you were. You're a dirty boy, Troy." I laughed and got up. I saw him turn a deep deep deep red as he followed.

"Thanks, guys. Have a good evening," said the receptionists as we went through the door and back through the aquarium and waterfall. We entered the parking lot, and Troy gave the valet drivers his ticket.

"Where exactly are you taking me?" I asked as we waited for the car to appear.

"You'll see," was his only response. The car pulled up. We got in and drove off. There was an awkward silence as he drove me to this special place, so he turned on the radio. _Oh my god, I can't believe this song is playing._

(Radio):

_---and now looking in your eyes_

_I feel in my heart_

_The start of something_

_Now who would ever though that---_

"Oh my god," I said. "I didn't really know that this song was a real song!"

"Haha, what do you mean?" he said as he turned the volume down a bit.

"Well, I just thought that it was a karaoke song, not like an actual artist sang it or something." We listened. "The duets pretty good." Without knowing it, I started singing along.

"Well, not as good as you," Troy said as he sang along with me. Before we knew it, the song ended, and we were at Kelroy Docks. (A/N: I made up the name). He led me to an area where parties and such could be held. It was empty, however, so he brought me to a little hut with a bench in it. It faced the ocean. We sat down and looked out over the boats though we kept in our own personal spaces. After a while, Troy decided to say something.

"Gabriella," he began, "I'm just going to be really straightforward." His voice was cool and calm, not harsh and pushy like it should have been. "Why did you break up with me?" He looked at me, but I forced myself to concentrate on looking at the boats.

I was silent for a moment and then, "Because I thought that you were going to break up with me." I could feel tears pricking my eyes. I fought hard to keep them from welling.

"What?" he asked. This time I faced him to see he had the most innocent look on his face. Those clear blue eyes made me melt inside.

"Well. Earlier that day, Taylor called to tell me that Chad had dumped her, so that he wouldn't be attached when he went to that sport program in Maui. That was really awful, even for Chad to do. And then, when you told me that you were going to the same sports enrichment thing as Chad, I thought that you were planning on dumping me, too. So I took the chance before you could." I paused to catch my breath. He was speechless. I continued, "And all this time, I thought that if I was wrong about breaking up with you, then you would call me or at least run after me." I let a tear fall. "But…you didn't. I waited all summer for your phone call, and I even waited the first semester of school. After that, I just convinced myself that breaking up was what you had in mind, and that's why you didn't call, and what I did was a good move." _That was so hard to do._ I let another tear fall. I sat back in my seat and wiped my tears away.

His mouth moved as if to say something, but he didn't, as thought he was trying to find the right words to say. Finally, "Gabriella. Gabi, look at me." I turned my head. It looked like he was about to shed a tear, too. "Gabriella, I didn't have the intention of breaking up with you. When you did, I was completely heartbroken. I didn't call you or come after you because I thought that that was what _you_ wanted. I spent the whole time I was in Maui trying to figure out what I had done wrong and trying to figure out where things went wrong. I couldn't concentrate very well on the court, so they sent me back home. Unlike Chad who flirted with every girl he could back in Hawaii, I tried to stay single incase _you_ decided to call me. I never tried to talk to you until now because I thought that you wouldn't want to hear from me. I couldn't get over you, and I still can't." His eyes were soft and apologetic.

He looked away for a moment then looked back at me and said, "The reason I asked you to meet me that day was to tell you something else, besides Maui." He reached into his front pocket and pulled out a small, velvet jewelry case. He handed it to me. I opened it to find a golden locket necklace with his picture inside. "I wanted you to have this, so that you could keep my heart close to yours while I was away."

"Troy, I'm so sorry." This time I was crying, not tearing, crying. I closed my hand around the locket and started sobbing. He pulled me into a hug, and I cried on his shoulder. When I collected my emotions, I slowly pulled away. He put both hands on my cheeks and wiped away my almost dried tear marks with his thumbs. He smiled, and I showed a small smile. I looked at his smile and then at his eyes and then back to his smile that faded slowly as my face inched closer to his. He moved his hands slowly to the back of my neck, and I we shared a kiss. It lasted for about four seconds until we slowly parted from each other. Then he took the necklace from my hands and held it out.

"Gabriella. Since that day, I haven't been able to open my heart to anyone else. Unless you're already seeing someone…" I shook my head. "Then would you do me the honors of keeping my heart safe?"

My eyes filled up with tears again as I nodded and smiled. He let out a relieved breath and placed the necklace over my head. I looked at it. On the outside it read:

With all my love,

Troy

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**A/N: soo tell me what you think. this is my LONGEST chapter yet.**


	9. PARTY IT UP!

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL OR ANYTHING ELSE EXCEPT THE PLOT!**

**A/N: thanks everyone for those reviews! Really appreciate them. ok, so I don't know if I mentioned this or not, but the time period is in 2006, not in like 2010 or anything even though they are in college. In other words, their college experience is technically happening today. Oh and remember, it's all through Gabriella point of view when Gabriella is involved. So, the party when Gabi isn't there doesn't include Gabi's personal "I"s and "me"s and such.

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Meanwhile…**

"SHUT UP! This is a fuckin' nice ass house!" screamed Brylee. She, Taylor, Sydney, and Gena got out of Gena's white BMW and started walked up the stairs of the three story mansion. It was absolutely gorgeous. A white house with French windows, a huge balcony on the second floor facing the main street, a waterfall cascading from the third story, and two gigantic palm trees on each side of the house. Music was roaring from inside, and people were everywhere. The four of them stood in front of the house in awe. They linked arms as they surveyed the fabulous house. Jason and Kelsi got out of Jason's black Range Rover and started walking up the stairs.

As Jason swung his arm around Kelsi's shoulders and Kelsi placed her arm around his waist, Kelsi looked back at them and called, "Party it up! Let's go!" The girls screamed and followed them inside the house. The interior was just as great as the exterior. The living room was the entire first floor. It was completely filled with people dancing, drinking, and having a good time. The lights were a little dim, and music was blasting from speakers in every direction. On the left corner of the room was a large bar with a bartender serving drinks. Up the stairs and on the landing was a DJ blasting music.

"Hellah nice!" yelled Gena over the loud music. 'Promiscuous Girl' was playing.

"Yo! Jason!" called one of Jason's teammates. Jason responded with a nod as he led Kelsi and the rest of the girls through the crowd towards the backyard. They all stepped outside to see an enormous endless swimming pool with what looked like a jungle surrounding it. People were swimming in it, either in bathing suits or without any (A/N: ok, I know it's kinda …ehh gross, but it's just a crazy college party. You gotta expect something wild).

"Man, this house is incredible!" squealed Taylor. "Man, if Gabriella were here, she would go cuh-ray-zee!" They all nodded.

"Whoever owns this house better be a guy," said Sydney as she looked around.

"Hey, Jason. Who does own this house?" asked Kelsi.

"Oh, uhm…you know, I'm not really sure what his name is---" started Jason but was cut off.

"It's a he!" screamed Sydney. Jason rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, it's a he. I forgot the guy's name, but I'm sure I'll know him when I see him."

"Pshh, never mind the dude, Syd. Let's go dance!" said Brylee as she grabbed her wrist and pulled her back inside to dance. Taylor and Gena shrugged and followed them, leaving Kelsi and Jason to themselves.

Once out of earshot, Jason said, "Your roommates are crazy." He laughed at the sight of Taylor attempting to dance. Apparently, Taylor kept crashing into people as she tried to dance, so she planted her feet and tried moving without actually moving. It ended up with people toppling over. Taylor was never really good dancing outside of routines. It was one hilarious scene for Jason and Kelsi, one sad scene for Taylor, and one embarrassing scene for everyone else. Just then the music changed and on came 'Me and U' by Cassie. Kelsi grabbed Jason's hand and led him inside the house to join the others. She glanced over at Taylor. She was still moving without moving, but this time with a guy. It was a little hard for Kelsi to see who he was, so she shrugged and resumed dancing with Jason. Sydney, Brylee, and Gena were also dancing with guys, most likely guys they didn't even know, but they didn't really care. They were having a great time.

A couple more songs played, and everyone was dancing like crazy. Then, the guy who was dancing with Taylor started to feel uncomfortable. He looked really confused when he felt something vibrating against his legs (haha, you're gross if you're thinking what I hope you're not thinking). He looked down and saw a blue light flashing in Taylor's back pocket of her jeans.

"Sorry," said Taylor as she pulled away from the guy she was dancing with and took out her phone. She looked at him and couldn't believe who she was dancing with. She quickly ran out to the backyard and answered her phone. "Hello?"

"Taylor?" said Gabi on the other end.

"HELLO!" yelled Taylor over the music. "HOLD ON!" she screamed as she moved away from the noise.

"Taylor!" called Gabriella.

"Sorry, Gabs. Oh my god, you should be here right now! This party is hot! This house is AMAZING! I would never be able to afford this kind of house in my life! Seriously, if I find out who owns this house, I might just marry the dude!"

"Sounds great," I said. Troy and I were still at Kelroy Docks, but Troy had to use the restrooms, so he left me for a moment at the little hut.

"Yeah, it really is! How are things with Troy?"

"Oh my gosh, Taylor. He did like the sweetest thing ever! He---" she stopped abruptly as Troy was coming closer. "Uh, I'll tell you later, yeah?"

"Ok, no problem. So what are you guys up to?"

"Uhm," I looked at Troy who sat down next to her and wrapped his arm around her. "I don't know. Troy might still have a few surprised for me tonight, so yeah, I don't know."

"Well, if you can, you just definitely stop by tonight!"

"Ok."

"Well, Gabs, you have a good time tonight. Call me again if you need anything!" said Taylor as she hung up and started walking back toward the house.

(At Kelroy Docks.)

"Who was that?" asked Troy

"Oh, Taylor. She and the girls and Jason are at a party in Beverley Hills. She says it's really hot there," I said while raising my eyebrows. "And the house is incredible."

"Well, I think that I'm all out of surprises for tonight. Do you want to go to that party?"

"Yeah!" I said as my face lit up.

Troy laughed, took her hand, and led her back to his car. As they neared his car, I remembered the locket and held it in my free hand. I then placed it in my shirt. _I want it to be a surprise when I tell Taylor and Kelsi_.

We were driving back on the freeway when I remembered that we had no idea where the party was. I took out my phone was and called Taylor up.

Meanwhile at the party…

Kelsi and Jason were sitting around the bar area with drinks in their hands, laughing, and talking. Sydney and Brylee were both dancing with two different guys. Every song they would change partners. Gena was dancing with one of the UCLA basketball players. And Taylor was back dancing with the same guy she was dancing with before, this time a little hotter and heavier. Jason caught sight of this and tapped Kelsi to look in Taylor's direction. Kelsi had to squint a little to see who Taylor was dancing with before she choked on her drink.

"NO WAY!" she screamed.

"Way," was all Jason could say. His face looked like he was both shocked and disgusted.

"Is that…" said Kelsi as she set down her glass.

"Yeah. It is. I can't believe it!" Jason said as he gulped down the rest of his beer. "Come on," he said as he placed his bottle on the bar, took Kelsi's hand, and led her to dance right next to Taylor. Taylor didn't even notice that they were dancing next to her because all she could concentrate on was the guy she was dancing with. Kelsi and Jason kept exchanging looks of 'you've-got-to-be-kidding-me' as they realized it really was who they thought Taylor was dancing with.

Jason shook his head in disbelief, pulled Kelsi closer, chuckled, and whispered, "That's a shocker."

"You're tellin' me," she whispered back.

Then he had the same look of discomfort and satisfaction he showed before as he felt the vibrations come back (haha!). Taylor pulled away once more and walked back outside as she took out her phone.

(Backyard).

"Hey, Gabi, what's going on?" Taylor said as she quickly walked away from the house.

"Taylor. Well, Troy and I are gonna stop by and party it up with you guys. Is that ok?"

"Yeah, of course!"

"All right, well you think you could tell us how to get there from the 10 East?" I asked as Troy handed me a pen from his glove compartment. I started scribbling down the directions on my hand. "All right thanks, Tay. We'll probably be there in like…fifteen minutes or so. Bye." I instructed Troy where to go, and in no time we were standing in awe in front of the magnificent white mansion.

"Dayummmm. SoCal is so much different than how it is Northern Cali," he said as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and stood there, staring at the house. He let out a sigh in disbelief, and we started toward the door. I couldn't believe how jam packed and how incredible the house was. Troy squeezed my hand and started leading me through the dancing people as I looked around for anyone I recognized.

"Gabriella!" I heard. I let go out Troy's hand although I wish I hadn't because the moment I did, I lost him in the crowd. _I wish it wasn't so dark in here!_ I turned around to see Geo walking towards me. I looked around but couldn't see Troy anywhere. _Oh, great._ "Hey, you came!" he exclaimed as he got closer. I smiled and nodded. "You want to dance?" he asked as he held out his hand for me to take. He smiled.

"Uhm," again, I didn't want to seem rude, so I said 'yeah'. _I can't find Troy anyways. One quick dance won't hurt._ So I took his hand, and he led me deep inside the crowd of dancing partiers. He went up behind me and grabbed my waist. I followed his lead, wishing for the song to end.

"You look beautiful," he whispered. I felt sweat dripping down my forehead.

"Thanks," I replied reluctantly. The song didn't seem to end! So I turned around and faced Geo. "I'm a little thirsty. I'm going to get something to drink," I said, hoping to get away.

"Oh all right, I'll come with you," he said. My eyes bugged out.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no. It's ok. You just...stay here...and keep dancing!" I said in a desperate tone. I went back through the crowd in hopes to spot Troy. No luck. I did however spot Gena, who was dancing next to Brylee, who was dancing near Sydney, who was dancing close to Kelsi and Jason, who were watching Taylor and…! TAYLOR AND RYAN EVANS DANCING AND A LITTLE TOO CLOSE IF YOU ASK ME!

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**A/N: DUN DUN DUN! haha. i derno about this chapter. does it seem kinda like it got nowhere to you or was it just me? i dunno. well reviews would be very helpful right now. i mean REALLY HELPFUL.**


	10. Bathroom Surprises

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN ABSOLUTELY NOTHING EXCEPT FOR THE PLOT!**

**A/N: ok, so in this chapter, there will be a little bit of SLASH. I'm warning you now before you get sad or report me or something. But, don't worry about that too much 'cause it still falls in the category under the Teen Rating not Mature Rating. Trust me, I felt really really uncomfortable writing it, but I couldn't really think of another way to explain the story at this point. So, my apologies in advance.**

**Oh and thanks to all of those awesome reviews, everyone! They put a smile on my face each time I read each one. :D

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**

What. In.The. World. I stood in the middle of the floor, with my jaw dropped five thousand miles long, completely taken back by the sight of Taylor and, of all people, in any case I would have hoped for Chad, Ryan Evans dancing to 'Hollaback Girl'. I hadn't seen Ryan since four or five summers ago, and now he was here, in Beverley Hills, in the exact same party, dancing with my best friend. Dancing WAY WAY too close. _Get your dirty hands off of her! _Of course, if I were to scream this aloud, people would think I would be crazy, and only Ryan, Kelsi, Jason, and I would understand why I would have freaked out. Kelsi and Jason kept a close eye on them as they danced. I knew that if Ryan made an unwanted move, Jason would be all over him in a heartbeat. But until then, Jason had no reason to pound on Ryan, for they were just dancing…clean.

_Flashback._

_It was the weekend after graduation, and the Evan twins were throwing the graduation/ summer kick off pool party. Two days before I broke up with Troy. The whole graduated senior class of EHS was there, and our gang consisting of Troy, Chad, Jason, Ryan, Taylor, Sharpay, Kelsi, and myself were spending the night. It's too bad that Zeke couldn't make it._

_Their house was amazing. A three story white mansion with an awesome waterfall in the backyard that flowed into the pool. The first story was completely made out of glass: the stairs, the tables, the chairs, everything but the couch and the entertainment system. It was amazing. _

_The party was live and memorable. It was amazing how three hundred seventeen/eighteen year olds found a way to fit in their ginormous pool. The DJ blasted music from Sharpay's bedroom balcony on the third floor that overlooked the backyard. People who weren't in the pool were talking, drinking, taking pictures, and/or dancing. This was the best way to end our high school career. I got to say good-bye to my decathlon buddies and drama pals in a cherishing way. _

_During the middle of the party, Troy pulled me to where the other people were dancing, and we danced like crazy as 'YMCA' came on. Everyone, even people in the pool, threw their arms up in the air to do the hand motions. I soon found our gang to be dancing with us, too. The next thing I knew, Troy hoisted me on his shoulders and yelped when I kicked him in the face. "Oops, sorry!" I called as I threw my hands up in the air for the next YMCA chorus. He finally let me down to see no damage from the kick. We, as well as everyone else, started dancing to the next song. I looked around. Kelsi with Jason, Chad with Taylor, Sharpay with Ryan, Andrew with…Wait a sec. DID I JUST SEE SHARPAY AND RYAN DANCING TOGETHER? Ok, Gabriella. They're just brother and sister having a good time. Just a brother and sister dance. Nothing wrong with that. But I looked back at them, and my eyes burned at how they were dancing. 'That is not how a brother and sister are supposed to dance even if they are twins!' I thought as I made a disgusted face. Kelsi looked at me and followed the path to where I was staring. So did Jason._

_At this point, Ryan and Sharpay were no longer dancing harmless. (A/N: use your own imagination. Nothing nasty or anything, just dancing outta control). It's bad enough that Sharpay was dancing in her bikini and Ryan in his trunks, but if they seriously were doing this, couldn't they have at least waiting until they were home alone! Honestly! I shivered in Troy's arms and looked away. Jason and Kelsi on the other hand made it obvious that they were looking at them, so when Ryan turned his head in exhaustion, his eyes widened, his cheeks reddened, and he started slowing down. Jason and Kelsi shot him sickened looks and looked away. Ryan pulled off and started walking towards the house, leaving Sharpay confused and baffled. In no time she grabbed Todd and started dancing with him like nothing ever happened. Was this normal to her because that sure wasn't normal to me! _

_I was surprised that Troy hadn't caught any of that. Kelsi and I exchanged looks of discomfort. She, Jason, and I agreed never to mention what just happened to anyone._

_End of Flashback._

Apparently, Taylor and Ryan were in their own little world. I was way too shocked to believe this. I turned to Kelsi and Jason for confirmation, and they nodded their heads in disgust. I felt the faint taste of vomit in my mouth. I was really nauseated, and I really needed air. This was just too much. I rushed outside to the backyard, and took in a deep breath. I walked over to an empty table and sat down. I buried my face in my hands and prayed that Sharpay wasn't around.

"Gabi," I heard footsteps coming in my direction. I looked up and saw Geo was holding a beer bottle in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. _Goodness. He's there wherever I go!_ He handed me the bottle of water and sat down.

"Thanks," I said as I accepted the water bottle and placed it upon my forehead. He smiled and took a sip from his Corona.

"You feeling okay?" he asked with sincerity.

"Fine," I answered. I twisted the white cap off of the Arrowhead and drank the whole bottle in one gulp. I laughed as he had a stunned expression on his face. "Like I said. A little thirsty,' I explained and shrugged.

"Well, then, here," he said as he held out his Corona in front of my face. "Take mine." I hesitated for a moment and then placed my fingers around the bottle's neck. I placed my lips around the rim and chugged the beer down. Geo had already drunk half of it, so it wasn't like it was that hard to finish off. I looked over at him and giggled. His jaw was still wide open. He blinked a couple of times to make sure he really saw that. _Wow, only half a bottle of beer, and already I feel a little tipsy. Ugh, I should really find Troy._

I began to get out of my seat when some idiot ran into me and completely spilled his drink all over my top. To make matters worse, about three seconds after I was drenched, the guy laughed at me, burped, threw up chunks of God knows what in my face, laughed again, and walked away. Jerk didn't even apologize! I wiped the puke from my eyes and face and turned around to detect Geo with his hand over his mouth hiding a smile. It didn't really matter because everyone else outside turned to point and laugh me.

Then Geo took my hand and led me back inside. People stared, made disgusted faces, and got out of my way as we walked toward the bathroom. Unfortunately the bathroom was on the second floor, so I guess everyone saw me scream at the DJ to get out of my way.

The bathroom was huge, bigger than my room back in New Mexico. I quickly ran to the sink to wash my face as Geo closed the door behind him. I wiped my face with the nearest towel and glanced back into the mirror. "Great," I said sadly feeling tears prick my eyes. "My make up's messed up, my hair smells," I said as I pulled some more chunks out of my curls. "I've been embarrassed into the next century," I said as I tried to remember where I had said that before. "And my top is ruined." My before golden satin low-cut halter top was now a gold and red sticky halter. I tried wiping the stain away with the towel, but found myself sitting on the edge of the bathtub crying.

Geo walked over, sat down, and wrapped his arm around me. He started rubbing my back. "It's ok, Gabriella," he said in a sympathetic voice. I moved slightly to brush his arm off of my shoulders. He didn't resist and let his arm slide off. I continued to cry in the towel. After a while, I finally calmed down and sighed. My eyes were puffy, my nose was red, and my top was still tainted. I hadn't noticed, but while I sobbed, Geo looked through the bathroom drawers and cabinets and took out a box of ammonia, bubble bath mix, and what looked like an old toothbrush.

"You want to take a bath?" I teased.

"Hah, no. My mom taught me how to take out stains for anything before I moved here, so…" he showed me what he was holding. "I can help you get that stain out before it sets in, but…" he looked away nervously. "you're going to sorta have to take your shirt off." He placed the boxes and toothbrush on the counter and waited for me to respond.

"Isn't---there…some way you can do it...without taking my top off?" I asked. He shook his head and frowned.

_What did he just say? Take my shirt off? No way! Hmm. But…I really like this top, I don't want it to be ruined._ I debated on whether to cooperate or to leave the shirt on all night. I looked at Geo. He looked as if he just wanted to help, so I gave in. I mentally kicked myself as I stood up and starting untying the knot around my neck. I started struggling to pull the halter over my head, covering my face, revealing my black strapless bra and the golden locket dangling from my neck, when I heard the door open and the sound of music filled the bathroom. Then I heard the door slam close as I finally pulled the halter from my head.

"Geo, who was that who just opened the door?" I questioned as I wrapped my torso around with a towel.

"Oh, just this black girl, a blonde guy, and pretty boy from the Berkeley team, "he answered. He took my top and started filling the sink with warm water. "I wonder how Bolton got in this party. He doesn't even go to our school."

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**A/N: BAM! What do you guys think? I'm kinda having a hard time about how to resolve this situation when Taylor, Ryan, and Troy look in on Gabi and Geo. Reviews would be awesome and helpful if you have any ideas! THANKS SO MUCH! YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME REVIEWERS AND I APPRECIATE THEM SO MUCH!**


	11. Spiked Heel

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, ESPECIALLY HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, EXCEPT THE PLOT!**

**A/N: ok, after reading a lot of those reviews, it seems to me that like, everyone hates Geo. Hah, I don't really blame any of you. So, let's just see what happens next!

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My heart dropped.

"What….did…you….just….say?" I asked, hoping I had heard him incorrectly.

There were soap subs in the sink, and Geo was scrubbing my shirt with the toothbrush. He replied irritably, "I said I wonder how Bolton got in this party."

Oh, no. Troy saw me! Geo also said that Taylor and Ryan were with him. Alone. Secluded in a bathroom. All three of them must have seen me taking off my shirt. They must have gotten the wrong idea. Oh god, what just happened! My head started spinning.

"The girl looked really familiar. Oh, isn't she one of our cheerleaders? Oh…uhm..Taylor! Taylor McKessie. That's her. Taylor opened the door with Bolton and the queer standing behind her. Taylor was really surprised, and her eyes widened," he continued as he rung out the water. I stood beside him, frozen and infuriated, watching him pull out a blow dryer from a drawer and plug it into the outlet. He started to dry my shirt. "The blonde guy had his mouth wide open as if he hasn't seen a girl in a bra before, and Bolton looked like he was about to cry, so I waved my hand at them to make them go away. Do you know them? Well, of course you must know Taylor."

Tears gathered in my eyes as I waited for him to finish drying my top. Anger and frustration bottled inside of me as I stood where I was. I started to breathe fast and shallow. He went on, "Bolton's pretty pathetic. Thinking just because he won the game today that he can barge into this party acting like he owns the place. He's an ass kissing rodent. I'll bet you he only got into Berkeley was because he screwed the---" I cut him off as I throw my clenched fist as hard as I could into his face. Then, remembering 'Miss Congeniality', I thrust my palm up at his nose, causing it to break and bleed. He quickly grabbed his nose.

I yelled in his face, "DON'T YOU EVER TALK ABOUT TROY BOLTON THAT WAY! YOU DON'T EVEN DESERVE TO BE MENTIONING HIS NAME! HOW CAN YOU SAY SOMETHING SO HURTFUL TO SOMEONE I LOVE SO MUCH! YOU FUCKING JERK!" Still not satisfied, I let out all my anger as I fiercely launched my spiked heels into his…well, you know.

He fell to the floor, grabbing his face and his crotch, squirming in pain. I grabbed my top and pulled it on. Thankfully, Geo washed all of the drink out and had dried it enough for me to wear it.

I ran towards the door, turned around, and said coolly as hot tears streamed down and stung my cheeks, "You're the one that's pathetic, and don't you dare speak to me ever again." I wiped away my tears and stormed out.

I flew back towards the stairs, knocking the DJ to the floor. I quickly turned around to apologize, but while I was going down, I missed a step, and toppled over, falling flat on my face. _Great! Just what I need. And how many times have I fallen on my face today? First at the game, tripping outside of the gym, and now this! Karma hates me._ I didn't want to get up, so I laid there, on the floor, on my stomach, with my face down, hearing gasps and people talking in my direction. I mentally rolled my eyes and stayed sprawled out. This was actually the only time I got close to taking that nap I wanted since eating at Crustaceans.

I felt my knee with the two bruises I had gotten today ache with piercing throbs. _Uh-oh_. I tried to move my right leg, but it hurt every time I tried to get up. I looked up and saw people staring at me, not even bothering to offer their aid. I tried to lift myself up, but it was no use. Then two warm, soft hands gripped my arms and lifted me up. I let out a huge yelp as I wrapped my hands around Troy's neck, and he carefully held my back and legs. I heard Kelsi, Jason, Taylor, Ryan, Sydney, Gena, and Brylee running behind him as we made our way out of the house. As Troy made his way down the stairs to his car, I felt my head ache and ache. Now, I was seeing black spots everywhere. Instantly, I passed out in Troy's arms.

The first thing I saw when I fluttered my eyes open were three blinding ceiling lights, all turned on. I looked to my left, and I saw a metal railing caging me inside the bed. I looked to my right and saw a vase full of daisies. I looked down to see that I was in a white hospital gown and covered in a white cotton blanket. My head was wrapped in bandages.

I sighed out loud, looked back to my right, and smiled. Troy was sleeping in a chair with his feet hoisted up on the foot of the bed, chin in his hand, drooling. I failed to attempt to nudge his feet with my right leg, for a thick cast plastered my knee down. No use trying to move it, so I 'ahem'ed. When that didn't work, I softly said, "Troy?"

He opened his eyes and took in a deep breath. He brought his feet down, stretched his arms, and rubbed his eyes. He greeted me with a smile, but the smile quickly faded. I didn't like the way he was looking at me: stern, serious, a little bit scary. He folded his arms and continued to look at me.

We sat in silence for a while when he finally said, "Quite a fall you took. Again." There was no joke in his tone. It was cold, and I didn't like it. But I guess I deserved what I got. _Karma bites_. I shifted uneasily. Silence. I watched as he got up and walked towards the window. He was still wearing the same clothes. I glanced over at the wall clock. It read '10:05'. _Sunday morning._

After staring out into the street, Troy walked beside my bed and handed me a shiny, narrow black stick from his back pocket. I was a little confused at first, but after he handed it to me, I realized it was one of my spiked heels from my shoes._ This is the fault of my fall._ I twirled the heel in my hands absentmindedly.

Troy walked away, shaking his head, placing his hands in his front pockets. He paced back and forth in front of me for what seemed like forever. He looked at the ground, thinking hard what about to say to me. Finally, he stopped.

"Uh, the doctor said that you strained your knee and twisted your ankle. You, uh, had a small concussion when you fell. You might not be able to cheer for a couple of weeks or so," he said as he pointed at the bandage on my head. He sat back down in his chair. I nodded in response and continued to play with the heel. _Cheerleading is the farthest thing in my mind right now_.

"Geo came by while you were asleep," he blurted out. His voice was subtle and sincere. I looked up and waited for a reaction. He had a blank expression as he stared at the daisies. "He told me everything."

_Great. Just exactly what is 'everything'._

As if reading my mind, he said, "Everything. From the time you innocently danced with him," he said as he emphasized 'innocently'. He gave me a playful look that implied that he didn't really mind. I could feel my cheeks turned a Crayola Red (don't own that either). "To the time someone threw up on you," he had a wide smile on his face. "To the time I caught you taking off your shirt," his smile faded. "To the time you kicked the life out of his balls!" his smile reappeared. He paused for a moment and then, "And well, I guess that…nothing happened between you two." I let out a relieved sigh. I shook my head for assurance and smiled.

_You got that right, buddy._

He chuckled. "He walked in with a nose cast, a cane…and a crotch cast." He burst out laughing. "Nice work, Montez." I laughed, too. "He's not such a bad guy. It's just bad timing I guess." I nodded.

"I'm sorry, Troy." My voice shook, and tears filled my eyes.

"Gabriella," he said. He got up from his seat and walked to my right side of the bed to wipe away my tears. "You have nothing to be sorry about. If anything, I should be sorry for letting you go out of my sight."

He entwined his right hand in mine and smiled. His eyes were shiny, too. He hesitated for a moment and then slowly bent down to press his lips against my own. He pulled away as a tear trickled down from his chin. I was lucky to have a guy like Troy. He was very understanding and forgiving. He could be able to look past minor mistakes.

"By the way," I said. "I was trying to find you in the crowd a few minutes after I let go off your hand. Where did you go?"

He quickly cleared his throat and wiped away his tears.

"Well, I was trying to look for _you_. But then I ran into this blonde drag queen. Actually, no, she ran into me. She had blye eye shadoweverywhere, and the pinkest cheeks you've ever seen, even in the dark, and the brightest red lipstick ever made! Nearly knocking me into a bunch of strangers. That girl was wasted. So anyways, she was stumbling everywhere, so I tried to stabilize her when I realized it was...Sharpay. She was about to say something to me, but I ducked my head, dropped to my hands and knees, and somehow I found my way to Taylor and Ryan. Man, they were dancing. Intense dancing." He made a face and scratched the back of his neck. "So anyways, I found out that Ryan and Sharpay own that house." _Of course, it looked so familiar. Must have had it done to match their house back home_. "I asked if any of them had seen you. They said 'no', so I asked Ryan to show me around to see if I could find you. And then...I found you."

"Sharpay," I repeated with a hint of disgust.

"Uhm, I think Taylor and Kelsi have been in the waiting room for a while, too. I'll go get them," he said to change the subject. He bent down once more to kiss me on the cheek. He let go of my hand and started towards the door.

"Wait, Troy!" I called just as he placed his hand on the door knob. He turned around swiftly and came back to my side.

"Yeah?"

"I was just wondering…how long are you here til? I mean, I know that you probably have school tomorrow, and that you need to head back to Berkeley. But---"

He cut me off. "As long as you need me." I gave him a confused look.

"There's something called online courses, Montez," he said with a smile, which caused me to smile.

"Well what about basketball practices? I don't want to keep you from that."

"Don't worry about that," he answered. He playfully winked, turned around, and disappeared out the door. A few minutes passed, and the door clicked open again. Kelsi and Taylor, also in the same outfits from last night, sleepily walked towards me. Both had dark circles under their eyes from the lack of sleep I assumed they had.

Kelsi came to my side and sat down on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

Just then, I realized that something bulky was in my hand. I opened it up slightly to reveal the golden locket Troy gave me. Tears freely fell down my face. Taylor and Kelsi exchanged worried looks.

I smiled, held up the locket for them to see, and replied, "I'm great."

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**A/N: okay, everyone. After a bit of writer's block for a couple of days, I managed to come out with this chapter. Guys, I did you a favor for updating, and I know that a lot of you read this story. Trust me, I check those stats every chance I get. So, please return the favor and REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!**

**I'm thinking about closing the story with one or two more chapters.**

**Come on. The REVIEW button is just right there. Submit one!**


	12. Traffic

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN ABSOLUTELY NOTHING BUT THE PLOT!**

**Ok people, this isn't the last chapter yet! I'd just like to take this opp. to thank all of you TOTALLY AMAZING, AWESOME, FANTASTIC, TERRIFIC, BEAUTIFUL, INCREDIBLE REVIEWERS! I know that I ask you to review my story sometimes, but it comes from the courtesy of yourself to actually submit one to me. so I'd like to say my thanks for those because without them, I don't think that you'd have me writing this much into the story. :D

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**

A few days later, I left the hospital with crutches and a cast. The doctors had told me to take it easy from now on, and to come back in two weeks to see how my ankle healed. Taylor and Kelsi came to pick me up and bring me home. I struggled to climb into the passenger seat of Taylor's old Honda, but soon enough we were on the 10 East coming from Saint John's Hospital in Santa Monica. And of course, as soon as we emerged onto the 405 freeway, traffic greeted us from all around. Bumper to bumper. Honking cars, agitated drivers, a nightmare.

"My god. This is like my suicide. I hate LA traffic!" said Taylor as she tried to switch lanes.

"I wonder why it's so jam packed," I said as I looked at the inert cars. "It's only 2:00."

"Turn on the AM 1070," suggested Kelsi from the back seat. "And maybe the air conditioning. It's getting hot."

Taylor, once she finally moved lanes, pushed the ON button for the radio and flipped through the stations.

"And traffic watch for Southern California---" cried the anchorman on the radio. He sounded tired and exhausted, as if he had eaten a whole Costco sized box of Twinkies, and was just about ready to pass out. He said each word in a slow monotonous tune.

Suddenly, a bright upbeat voice said, "Thank you, Hal. Traffic for today. It is now 2:03 PM, and the roads are bumper to bumper---"

"As if we don't already know," Taylor yelled at the radio.

"---the 91 in both directions will be closed today due to a car collision and explosion. The lanes are backed up for miles and miles, so if you're planning on taking the freeway, I'd say stick to the side streets. The 101 is moderately flowing freely south bound. The 10 East is---"

"Come on, already. 405! 405!" called Kelsi as she tied up her silky brown hair.

And on cue, "---the 405 freeway. What a killer, folks. It seems as if there were three car collisions going north. One car collided into an SUV, causing the SUV to skid pass the freeway dividers and into the opposite freeway. Both 405 North and South freeways will be backed up for quite a while. And that concludes your traffic watch for right now."

"Great!" Taylor yelled. She slammed her fists on the steering wheel and leaned back. I let out a sigh and listened to the infomercial on Windex. Annoyed, Taylor quickly flipped the station to 102.7 KIIS FM. Gnarls Barkley was playing.

"Hey, I like this song," I said as I turned up the volume louder. I started dancing in my seat and started singing along. A couple cars honked at us and yelled to lower the volume. I ignored them and kept on blasting it. Taylor and Kelsi didn't seem to mind, for they were doing the same as I was. This really helped keep our minds off of the traffic. The song finished and the host came on.

"That was 'Crazy' by Gnarls Barkley, everyone. Alright, people. It is April 23, 2006, 2:07 PM. We are handing out tickets to attend MTV's movie awards hosted by Jessica Alba. The screening will be on April 30 and will air sometime in June. If you're caller number seven, then you just might score the tickets. That's 1-800-555-KIIS."

I quickly grabbed Taylor's phone that was charging on the dashboard and started dialing the number as fast as I could.

"And we have caller number seven!" cried the host.

"Damn!" I said, disappointed. "It's like impossible to ever get on the radio station."

"And who are we speaking to?" asked the DJ.

"Troy. Bolton," replied the caller.

"WHAT!" yelled Kelsi. She quicky sat up, leaning in to listen. My eyes bulged out, and Taylor accidentally slammed her fist on the horn. I turned up the radio louder, creating a bigger scene from the angry drivers who were already irritated from the traffic and loud music.

"Troy! Troy got through!" I said in disbelief.

"Congratulations, Troy Bolton. You just earned yourself two tickets to see the MTV movie awards in person at Universal Studios in Studio City. How do you feel?" asked the DJ.

"Eh, I'm excited," Troy said coolly. I rolled my eyes. _I thought he would be at least excited to see Jessica Alba._

"Well, Troy. You're a very lucky guy. You have two tickets here, so who's the other lucky person you're going to take?" said the DJ.

"I don't know. I think I'll take someone special," he said with a laugh. Taylor and Kelsi both looked at me and smiled. I blushed.

"Oh, really. And who might be this lucky person?" _Man, this DJ really is curious._

"My other half, Gabriella Montez." _I melted. Other half? That's the best feeling in the world._

"Well, Gabriella Montez, if you're listening out there. I think that he just confessed his love for you," said the DJ. I reddened. "Alright Troy, congratulations again. Would you like to request a song for the listeners out there?"

"Yeah. Could you put on the song 'Start of Something New'? I'd like to dedicate it to GABRIELLA MONTEZ!" he screamed.

"All right, no problem. This is the start of something new dedicated to the one and only Gabriella Montez," stated the DJ as he played the song and Troy hung up. The song played, and I broke out into tears.

"That was so sweet," Taylor said softly.

"I know," I muttered. Joyful tears slowly drifted down my cheeks as the song continued. I looked out my window. Drivers, who were once angry, were now staring at me, smiling as they heard the radio announcements. I couldn't help but laugh at how freaky and mechanical they looked. My phone started to buzz. I flipped it open to see a text message from Troy:

_Open envelope labeled TWO_.

Suddenly I remembered that Troy had given Taylor more than one envelope.

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**ok, ok, so it's a little short...but**

**Haha, I love cliffhangers…I don't know if you would consider this as a cliffhanger, but I can assure you that one more chapter will be up and done in no time. **

**HMM I WONDER WHAT THAT ENVELOPE WILL SAY! Or CONTAIN:)**


	13. The Other Letters

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING BUT THE PLOT!**

**ok everyone. this chapter CONCLUDES With A Hopeful Heart. it's been great writing after reading everyone's encouraging and positive reviews! oh and if you liked this story, check out my work in progress story: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, VANESSA. it can be found on my page.**

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Going up the stairs to the apartment was brutal. I just learned how to walk with crutches, and now my newest challenges, climbing a flight of stairs because the stupid elevator was out of service, was totally slowing every tenant down. I felt rather bad that I was in the way of at least ten people, so I stood aside as they passed by me, Taylor, and Kelsi without any sympathetic looks or smiles.

"Watch it!" a brute man yelled as he bumped into one of my crutches.

"Excuse me, sir, but you ran into her," Kelsi snapped defensively. He glared at her then started up again.

"Damn, handicaps," he retorted sharply. _Jerk! You are horrible neighbors anyways._ As soon as everyone passed us, I started again, refusing Taylor and Kelsi's offer to help me out.

"Guys, I'm fine. I got to learn how to do this on my own anyways," I said as they placed an arm around mine. They backed off and waited for me to walk up a few steps. I was so anxious to open up the letter that I became distracted, and before you know it, I lost my balance and…

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. I got you," Taylor said as she caught me before I fell.

"Gabriella, even though you're on the cheerleading squad, no offence or anything, but you have horrible balance," Kelsi said with a slight laugh. I glared at her as I recentered myself and took another step. "Ok…too soon for jokes," she murmured under her breath.

CLICK! CLICK! THUD! CLICK! CLICK! THUD! were the only and repeating sounds of the crutches and my foot I heard as I finally reached the door. Taylor pulled it open, and we walked into the hallway. We reached our door. Kelsi fumbled for her keys and opened it. I walked in and saw a "WELCOME HOME GABI!" banner hung across the living room wall. I heard muffled music coming from Gena's and Sydney's closed bedroom door, and I smelled the most amazing roasted garlic chicken that I knew Brylee could only make.

"YO! EVERYONE! GABZ IS HOME!" Taylor yelled through her cupped hands. Instantly, Gena's door flew open and out came Gena and Sydney, who flew their arms around my neck.

"Welcome home, Gabi!" Gena said as she let go of my neck.

"Yeah, girl. The past few days hasn't been the same without you here," Sydney said. Brylee emerged from the kitchen with an apron and oven mitts on. She walked up and careful hugged me. She smelled like garlic.

"Hungry?" she asked. "Hospital food, I hear, isn't the greatest." Everyone laughed.

"Duh," I answered sarcastically.

"Well come on, let's go eat! We still haven't heard about the incident with…ahem, Geo at that party," Sydney said sarcastically as she started walking towards the kitchen. Even though the girls had visited me at the hospital, I refused to tell them the story there. I mean, come on, tell them my story in a HOSPITAL? No, I'll wait til I'm home, thanks.

I started to follow them when I remembered my main mission. _Letter TWO_. "Uhm, I think I'll go try to change first. I smell like the hospital," I said as I stopped abruptly. "Tay, Kels, could you help me out?" I winked at them at nudged my head in the direction of my room. They caught on and followed me. Kelsi hurriedly shut the door once we all got in the room.

"Taylor, Troy sent me a text message to open up letter number two," I explained. Without a word, Taylor fumbled through her desk and drawers in search of the letters. She pulled out two more large white envelopes labeled 'TWO' and 'FOREVER'. I grabbed the letter labeled TWO and ripped it open. I played with my locket as I read over the short letter Troy had written:

_Gabriella,_

_You're amazing._

_And I'm so lucky._

_I'm always there when you need me._

_Just flip open that locket, and BAM! I'm looking at you._

_Love you always,_

_Troy_

A beaming smile filled my face as I flipped open the locket. I stared into the bluest eyes ever captured by a camera and already I was feeling warm and great. I handed the letter to Taylor and Kelsi, and they let out a cute "AWWWW!"

I struggled over to my closet and pulled on a clean shirt. I really did smell like the hospital. I came back over to the two and took the envelope that was labeled 'FOREVER'. I carefully sat down on Taylor's bed and ran my fingers over the edge. _I wonder_. I turned the envelope around and carefully started tearing at the sealed flap.

Out of curiosity, Taylor and Kelsi came and sat on my sides to see what was in the last letter. I pulled out three 5 x 7 inch photos. The first one was the picture I had taken five years ago when I first met Troy, and we exchanged numbers at the New Years Eve party. The picture was captured from Troy's phone. On the back read:

_The very second I fell in love._

_Happy New Years, Gabriella._

The second picture was Troy and I backstage East High's theater on opening night for Twinkle Towne as Arnold and Minnie. I remembered the night perfectly. Ms. Darbus for some reason was wearing a wet suit that didn't suit her curves, if you ask me. Ryan and Sharpay helping Troy and I get ready. Sharpay was still a little mad that she didn't get the lead, but she was still pretty supportive. Then in the middle of the performance, Ryan came running on to the stage flapping his arms, screaming, "I'M WINNING! I'M WINING!" He quickly ran off stage as Sharpay chased after him with a flashlight in her hands. I never really knew what happened, but the audience thought it was part of the show and laughed. That night, Troy had asked me to be his girlfriend, and I gladly accepted.

The final picture was a snapshot of us at graduation, me in a white cap and gown, Troy in a red one, our tassels turned, diplomas in hand, black tears from my mascara running down my cheeks, smiling like there was no tomorrow. We posed in front of the big banner that said, "CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF '02!" **(remember, this story currently takes place in the present.)** Awards were handed out during the ceremony. I was class valedictorian, and Troy was awarded with the All-Star Athlete award. We couldn't have been any happier. On the back read:

_I've been meaning to give you this picture._

_We did it._

He drew a heart next to 'it', and I knew that he meant more than just graduate. All this time, Taylor and Kelsi were looking at the pictures, too, with silent, joyful tears streaming down their cheeks.

"Gabriella, we couldn't be happier for you and Troy," Taylor sniffled.

I ran my finger along the outline of the heart locket and softly said, "Me, too."

THE END!

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**Alright, you awesome reviewers. I trust that you will review my conclusion to my story. And I hope that you guys caught on with the title…With a hopeful HEART…the heart locket…the heart Troy drew next to the 'it' in the letter.**

**Oh and check out the next page. I just wanted to acknowledge my loyal and AWESOME REVIEWERS FOR BEING SUCH AWESOME PEOPLE!**

**THANK YOU EVERYONE AND I HOPE YOU LIKED IT!**

**:D**

**Ohh and I'm still debating on whether I should create a SEQUEL because aren't you just dying to know what happened to GEO, RYAN, AND SHARPAY! HAHA.Tell me what you honestly thought of this story, and if all goes ok, then I might make another story. It's up to you guys. I'm just happy I finished the way I wanted it.**

**DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT HAPPY BIRTHDAY, VANESSA ON MY PAGE. **


	14. TO MY AWESOME REVIEWERS!

**THANKS SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO READ AND REVIEWED MY STORY! YOU HONESTLY DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT MEANS TO ME! THANK YOU SO MUCH:**

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**AND IF I LEFT ANYONE OUT, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO TELL ME! I LOVE YOU ALL!**


	15. ATTN: BREAKING NEWS!

Hey, everybody. It's me again. I've been meaning to tell you people this, so here it is.

After rereading this story and after rereading those TOTALLY AWESOME REVIEWS, I've decided that I will go ahead and write that sequel…but only until after I finish my current fanfic. So, don't worry! You're favorite characters will be coming back!

Oh, and again, check out my work in progress, **Happy Birthday, Vanessa** under my page!

loveRHINO


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